The Security Features Of The New 100$ Notes

By Alxa Roffel


100$ note is currently the largest denomination of United States currency. It has the picture of an renowned or well-known person, sir Benjamin Franklin, who is one among the founding fathers of the United States of America. One the corresponding side of the Bill, one can find the image of the Independence Hall.

It was announced that the 100 bill will be printed and circulated by the February of 2011, but somehow the proposal got reject due to problems in the notes and was postponed later to be circulated from October 2013. The 100$ US currency note is one of the most counterfeited note outside United States and therefore the notes were reprinted after long research to get notes with new security features implied on them.

Often the US currency is referred to the name of the presidents; it is probably the only currency that is named after their president. The 100$ US currency is often referred to as Bens, Benjamins, Franklins, as because the 100$ bill has the face of Benjamin Franklin's and people to refer to their portrait on the bill. The hundred dollar bill is sometime also referred to as "C, as this indicates the roman numeral for the number. The hundred dollar bill is one of the two notes that don't have the face of a president on the note, along with the ten dollar note.

Likewise the newly notes released comprises of new high-tech features, which definitely made it easier for the people of the country to differentiate between the original and the counterfeit notes. Moreover, the new features also made it difficult for the people creating counterfeit notes to replicate it.

Later in 2013 a newly designed 100$ note was circulated, which was earlier to be released in 2011 but it was not published due to some issues with the printing. There were some new security features introduced in the newly circulated notes, here are the newly added features.

It was also found that the image of the Liberty bell in the inkwell also changes as the user views the 100$ note. The new 100$ bill introduced then had the colour shifting ink. As you look through the note, you can find an inkwell at the bottom right of the note, carefully looking at it you can find an image of a green bell inside the copper coloured inkwell present on the front of the bill. Also as you tilt the note, you can observe it changing colour from green to copper, which makes the bell appear and disappear in the inkwell.

A security feature is also put in the copper bell in the inkwell, as you tilt the note the bell change from copper to green. This also gives an effect, which showcases that the bell seems to appear and disappear in the inkwell. It also has a micro printing on the note as an added security feature.

The security features of the new printed notes were discussed for around a decade as the Federal Reserve wanted to have a 100$ US currency that is extremely difficult to counterfeit. Considering the fact that the 100 US dollar currency note is one of the most counterfeited notes outside the country, it was a necessary step. Use of micro printing and Raised printing was also done to add to the security feature of the currency.




About the Author: